Filing cabinet



NOV. 28, 1944. 1 W` COWAN 2,363,574

FILING CABINET Filed Jan. l5, 1942 d. smv@ Qmcaa as phonograph records and i whereby to prevent hasta: Nav. 2s, 19447 vUNITI-:o s'nrrrss PATENT OFFICE l This invention relates to a ming cabinet.

'I'he invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved ming cabinet or receptacle particularly adapted for containing articles such the like and in which provision is made for operatively supporting the articles within the cabinet in a compact and safe condition and to permit them to be readily de- DOSited thereinand withdrawn therefrom.

With this general object in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the ming cabinet and in the various structures. arrangements and combinations oi' parts hereinafter described and particularly dened in the claims at the end of this specincation.

ln the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ming cabinet embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2 2 ot Fig. 3 shown with the top in its closed position; and, Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing the cabinet in its fully opened position.

In general, the present invention contemplates the provision of a cabinet which is simple in structure and convenient in use and which is particularly adapted for ming articles, such as phonograph records, in a manner such as to maintain them in a relatively safe and compact condition, and whose construction is such as to permit oi' ready access to the articles and to compacting the articles inthe cabinet and for retaining them in a compactly stacked condition displacement of the articles during movement or transportation of the cabinet.

Referring now to the drawing, l represents a cabinet having a bottom wall l2 rear wall I4,

z clam. (ci. 31e-1o) vided on the cover 22 for convenience in carry'- ing the cabinet. y

as illustrated in Fig. a, when the cabinet is.

opened, the front panel 2l may be swung outwardly on its hinges 21, being limited in its outwardly swung position by a stop member 28 extended from the lower edge of the panel 20 which is arranged to engage a lug 30 secured to a side wall I8, I8 of the cabinet, as shown. The top cover 22 which may be rocked on its hinges 32 until it assumes a fully opened or vertical position is maintained in its upwardly swung position by 'one or more slotted bars 34 pivotally tlxecl in the cover and engageable with a stop screw' 36 fixed in a side wall of the cabinet.

'I'he articles, such as be med are arranged to be received in individual envelopes 42, a plurality of which are pivotally mounted upon a'rod 44 extending across the cabinet and removably supported in the side walls Il, I8 thereof. Each envelope 42 is provided with an eyelet 46 adjacent the lower front corner through whichthe rod 44 projects so as to enable an individual envelope to be rocked out vof `alignment with the rest of the stack as indicated in dotted .lines in Fig. 3, to facilitate insertion or removal of an article. As herein shown, the lower corners 4I, y50 of the envelopes may be cut off as required to provide clearance to permit an envelope to be swung outwardly as described. 4 -l As shown in Fig. 2, one of the side walls I5 is provided with an opening 52 through which the rod 44 may be inserted and then positioned to present one end of the rod in a socket 54 in the opposite side wall I8, the other end of the rod resting in a slotted portion 58 adjacent theopening 52. With this construction it will be seen that when it is desired to add or replace envelopes in the cabinet it is merely necessary to raise the rod slightly and slide it through the opening I2. j

Provision is made for maintaining the articles in a closely stacked condition and, as herein shown, a retaining bar 60 slidingly and pivotally mounted on the rod 44 is arranged to be pressed into engagement with the end of the stack, as

.shown in Fig. 2. In order to retain the bar 60.

members and notched members maybe provided if desired tov increase the stability ot the re' phonograph records: 4U to i rod Il. In operation, just the position of the bar, the latter is rocked upwardly to disengage the blade member 62 from the notched member 65 whereupon the bar may to be grasped between l i, taining bar. A bushing 88 may be provided in the bar to facilitate movement of the bar on the when it is desired to adbe moved laterally on the rod 4l to its new position and then rocked downwardly again to engage a diiferent notch 64.

lAs herein shown, each envelope may be provided with a numbered tab extending from the forward edge thereof and arranged in staggered relation. The tabs 10, in addition to serving to identify a similarly numbered article in the envelope, also serve as handles by which an envelope may be grasped to roel: it forwardly as.

above described. In operation, anfenvelope is rocked forwardly only a suicient distance out of alignment with the stack to enable an article the lingers and pulled out of its envelope, the envelopes preferably being of a height substantially less than the diameter of the disc inserted therein so that the portion of the disc extending above the top of the envelope is Aeasily accessible. 'I'he front panel 20 is arranged to be rocked outwardly a sumcient distance, approximately 30, to provide clearance for rocking an envelope, as described, yet the panel is limited in its outward movement to prevent an envelope from being inadvertently moved to an angle beyond which a disc might roll out, thus serving as a. limiting stop for the envelopes. It will be observed that the inside of the cover may serve as a convenient repository for an index list 12 of the articles contained in the envelopes.

'I'he envelopes 4 2 mayand preferably will be made of a good quality paper or board stock and simply constructed, being merely folded once and adhesively united along the marginal edges 1l, 16 at either end. The discs 40 mounted in the envelopes, thus constructed are held-from lateral displacement s o that the cabinet may be lsafely transported without danger of injury to the discs. It will also be observed that the clearance space 18 betweenthe top of the larger discs and the underside of the cover 22 is limited when the cabinet is in its closed condition, as shown in Fig. 2, so that only slight movement of the discs upwardly is permitted thus reducing to a minimum the likelihood of damage to the discs when the cabinet is moved.

From the above description of the construction and mode of operation of 'the illustrated filing cabinet,l it will be observed that the present invention provides a safe and convenient repository v:lor storing and ling articles of a fragile nature such as phonograph records, although it Awill be apparent that the invention may be used with advantage for iiling and storing articles of a diil'erent nature.

While the preferred embodiment of the inven- 4 tion has been herein illustrated and described 6 having a hinged top cover Having thus described the invention, what il claimed is: 1 A portable cabinet for holding and transporting phonograph records comprising a box and a hinged front `panel, means i'or Joining. the free ends oi said hinged members when the box is closed. a rod horizontally extended and removably supported between the sidewalls of said box and disposed adjacent the lower front corner thereof, a group of rectangular vertically disposed record holding envelopes pivotally mounted on said rod and arranged to permit individual envelopes to be swung out of alignment with the group when the box is opened, said envelopes being snugly tted into said box with a.' minimum of clearance between the edges thereof and the bottom, front and rear panels of the box when the latter isin its closed condition lwhereby to reduce to a minimum lateral movement'of said record holding envelopes and their contents during transportation,v said box being also proportioned to provide a minimum of clearance betweenthe upper edges of the inserted records and the top cover of the box, and means for maintaining said group of envelopes and their contents in a compact condition longitudinally of the rod including a, retaining member pivotally and slidably mounted on said'rod, said retaining' member being provided with a bushing to facilitate movement on the rod, and a notched member mounted on the rear panel of the box and arranged to be removably engaged by said retainins member.

2. A portable cabinet for holding and transporting phonograph records comprising a box having a cover and a removable front panel, means for fastening the cover and front panel when the box is closed, a rod horizontally ex- 0 tended and removably supported between the Y side walls of said box and disposed adjacent the lower front corner thereof, a group of rectangular vertically disposed record holding envelopes pivotally mounted on said rod and arranged to permit individual envelopes to be swung out of augment with the group when the box is opened, said envelopes being snugly tted into said box with. a minimum of clearance between the edges thereof and the bottom, front and rear panels of the box when the latter is in its closed condition whereby to reduce to a minimum lateral movement of said record holding envelopes and their contents during transportation, said box being also proportioned to provide a minimum of clearance between the upper edges of the inserted records and the top cover of the box, and means for maintaining the group of envelopes and their contents in a compact condition longitudinally of the rod including a retaining member pivotally and slidably mounted on the rod, and means mounted on a stationary wall of the box adapted to be removably engaged by the retaining member.

JOHN' W. cowAN. 

